Confused about cancer? Here’s what we really do know about its causes

February 2019

Darwin College member Jonathan R. Goodman discusses cancer research and evolutionary theory in a feature for the New Scientist, published on World Cancer Day 2019.

Cancer is not a single disease and its causes are many and complex, but there are things we can do to reduce our risk – if only we could identify them. That isn’t easy when even the experts don’t always agree. So, what do we know – and don’t know – about the causes of cancer? And, when faced with mixed messages, how can we best judge the risks for ourselves?